A Perspective from under the shadow of Table Mountain
By Belinda Silbert
“Where the respect to us cannot be won by entreaty, it may be commanded and where it cannot be commanded, it may be enforced.” Emma Lazarus.
The task of nation-building is never without sacrifices and the transformation of the ‘Walking Wounded’ who survived the Shoah (Holocaust) into the proud nation of Israel – with the mighty IDF as the ‘jewel in its crown’- has been an enriching and enlightening success.
The early vision of the Zionist youth movements was of a new breed of strong Jews. “Muscular Zionism” was a term coined by Max Nordau in his speech at the Second Zionist Congress held in Basel on August 28, 1898, and would find physical expression in the Jewish Olympics, known as the Maccabi Games, which held its 20th Maccabiah in July 2017 with a large South African delegation.
In this way, the early chalutzim (pioneers) toiled and turned the malaria-infested swamps into gardens and made the desert bloom. A new emphasis on physical prowess and the readiness to defend oneself in addition to labouring on the land has been a vital component in the evolution of the State of Israel.
Whilst we have never given up our love of learning and indeed we count amongst our ranks renowned intellectuals, the pride of Jews worldwide cannot be for those accomplishments alone.
The State of Israel has been forged in steel to be a protector of all Jews, not merely those who reside within its borders. It is particularly comforting to know this, especially at a time where the rise of right-wing white supremacy threatens our people once more.
South Africa has not been immune to the cancer of anti-Semitism that prevails daily in cyberspace.
The savage hybrid alliances that have manifested in South Africa are extremely malevolent. The strange ideological bedfellows of radical Islamic extremists, neo-Nazis and New Age conspiracy theorists have regularly taken it upon themselves to inundate members of the Jewish community with anti-Semitic rhetoric at every turn.
Times have Changed
On Facebook and Twitter, and even in local neighbourhood Facebook groups, malicious cyber-bullying has become commonplace and disturbingly acceptable. ‘’Hitler’ and ‘Auschwitz’ are used frequently by folk not as representing evil but quite the opposite.
Jon Mac Gillivray
This is in stark contrast to the pre-cyber era, where such discourse was off-limits.
The posts have transitioned from initial anti-Zionist pro-BDS posturing to blatant attacks and stereotyping of Jews. The veneer has cracked and the anti-Semites are no longer even attempting to disguise their beliefs behind the banner of hating Israel.
Here are two examples of comments that I received that show how disturbed are the minds of these people. Foul language, blatant lies and conspiracy are their stock-in-trade:
Jon Mac Gillivray:
“Belinda Silbert, the Jews suffer from a sickness. They are the spawn of temple prostitutes who have come to believe themselves superior to all other peoples. Your scumbag people have a history of terrorism….9/11 was a thorough ‘Jew job’.”
Jews are thus an “illegitimate” people – the “spawn of prostitutes, and responsible for the world’s calamities – that is, 9/11.
Jon Campling:
“No Christian should support Judaism. The Jewish Talmud is clear in its hatred of Christ and Christianity.”
Jon Campling
Interesting that Mr. Campling is unaware or choses to be unaware that the Talmud was written long before Christ or Christianity. So, either a fool, but most certainly an irrational anti-Semite is Campling.
He then proceeds to fabricate quotes from the “Talmud’.
“Jesus is in Hell being boiled in hot excrement.” (Gitten 57a)
“Jesus was sexually immoral and worshiped a brick.” (Sanhedrin 107b)
“Christians who reject the Talmud will go to hell and be there for generations.” (Rosh Hashanah 17a)
Of course, the sources he quotes from, are all made up. His last reference, “Rosh Hashanah”, means New Year in Hebrew.
Campling and Mac Gillivray are evil, dangerous and are free through the ‘Social Media” to infect the minds of the less questioning. They mask their hate of Jews in lies and deception in the hope that their followers are gullible and will just blindly believe.
Many in South Africa today do – following blindly the orchestrated deception on BDS.
Stand Up
This is the moment for South African Jewry to take stock and cease divisiveness. Remember “Muscular Judaism”. The bitter pill to swallow is that ALL Jews are targets for anti-Semites; not only those who profess to be Zionists. This is not the 1940’s, and South African Jews do not have to cower in submission and be apologetic for their existence. We cannot afford to be self-effacing and to blend into the background – that would be a betrayal of the sacrifices of our ancestors.
War of Words
In Judaism, there are 613 Mitzvot (Commandments).
Emil Fackenheim (1916-2003), who escaped from a Nazi concentration camp, asserts we need to stand tall and adds a 614th commandment:
“Do not grant Hitler a posthumous victory.”
We must not be deterred by the merchants of deception who use the Social Media today, to wage a “War of Words” against Jews and Israel.
And to these enemies of Israel:
‘Thou shalt not succeed’
*Soprano Belinda Silbert lives in Cape Town, South Africa. She is well known to TV audiences for her appearances on “Making Contact” SABC 3, and “Your Date with Destiny” (ETV.) and to radio listeners tuning in to KFM 94.5, SMILE 90.4 FM and 2 Oceans Vibe Radio. Belinda is also a published author and public speaker.
